工具遗留样本及其利用

利用工具作案在刑事犯罪中较为普遍，因此现场工具痕迹出现率较高。但由于作案工具难以寻找，或者灭失，或者损坏，无法制作工具痕迹检验样本，使工具痕迹检验和利用丧失了条件，因此工具痕迹利用率低．其作用难以发挥。为解决上述问题，本文对工具遗留样本的概念、工具遗留样本的利用进行了探讨。     

浅谈工具痕迹在串并案件中的运用

犯罪分子的动力定型习惯性，通过其犯罪活动在现场被破坏客体的工具痕迹上反映出来，这就为我们利用工具痕迹串并案件提供了客观依据。运用工具痕迹串并案件主要通过分析判断现场上发现的工具痕迹或者工具的种类和来源，研究犯罪嫌疑人使用工具破坏客体的方式、方法及熟练程度，检验比对工具的个别特征，找出多个案件现场上犯罪嫌疑人使用工具作案的内在的共同特点。     

痕迹检验样本及其收取制作刍议

痕迹检验工作是刑事技术人员运用现代科学仪器和技术方法，对现场痕迹和痕迹样本进行观察、寻找特征、实验研究、比对异同、评断结果、得出科学结论的过程。痕迹检验离不开两个客体，一个是现场痕迹，另一个是供分析、鉴定现场痕迹用的痕迹样卒。     

浅论铁路割盗案中断线钳的剪切痕迹

在割盗电气化铁路线材的案件中，应注意发现和提取犯罪现场遗留的线材断头痕迹，并对断头上痕迹的形成及特点进行检验鉴定，确定作案工具，从而为侦查破案提供线索，为认定犯罪提供证据。     

碰撞数据还原技术在交通事故车速鉴定中的应用

交通事故车速鉴定指依据事故痕迹物证，使用一定的计算方法或工具、手段，对事故发生前车辆的行驶速度进行计算、分析，得到结果的过程。鉴定结果是确定交通事故性质、分析事故原因、认定事故责任的重要依据，对于交通事故处理工作具有十分重要的意义。随着道路交通的日益发展，车速鉴定的需求量越来越大，对鉴定质量的要求也越来越高。     

谈痕迹技术的发展

本从痕迹检验技术工作的实质性特点出发，针对痕迹检验范围、痕迹的新分类和新技术的开发推广等发展性问题提出了个人观点.     

利用直接扩大重叠透视法检验疑难手印

重叠透视法是痕迹检验的一种直接重影方法，对较大面积的痕迹检验，可以迅速有效地确定部位和寻找比对特征。在手印检验中，经过恰当处理，也同样适用这种方法。     

信息

社会化检验、鉴定机构亮相天津谢金荣“天通司法鉴定中心”日前在天津市正式挂牌成立。天通司法鉴定中心是面向社会服务的司法鉴定机构;由天津市交通工程学会出资申办,经天津市公安交通管理局备案,司法局、民政局核准登记,是独立的法人单位。鉴定中心设法医室、车辆检测室、痕迹物证室、影像室等业务部门,具体受理的检验、鉴定业务是:交通事故的尸体检验;交通事故人体损伤鉴定、受伤人员伤情鉴定和伤残等级评定;交通违法行为人、交通事故当事人饮酒、服用国家管制的精神药品或者麻醉药品的检验;交通事故涉案车辆的安全性能检测、机动车机械…     

单股铜芯电线的检验

在一些案件现场，我们常可以提取到被犯罪分子遗弃在现场用作捆绑物的电线。对电线的检验不仅限于通过对电线上的剪切痕迹进行检验来认定作案工具，有时通过对电线线皮上线条痕迹的检验也可以进行同一认定。     

书面语言的心理痕迹检验

书面语言是心理痕迹的外露，本文结合实际案例．论述书面语言特征的形成和心理痕迹的检验方法。     

Revealing intra-urban travel patterns and service ranges from taxi trajectories

As an important transport tool, taxi plays a significant role to meet travel demand in urban city. Understanding the travel patterns of taxis is important for addressing many urban sustainability challenges. Previous research has primarily focused on examining the statistical properties of taxi trips to characterize travel patterns, while it may be more appropriate to explore taxi service strategies on seasonal, weekly or daily time scale. Therefore, intra-urban taxi mobility is investigated by examining taxi trajectory data that were collected in Harbin, China, while 12-week corresponding to 12-month is chosen as the sampling period in our study. The multivariate spatial point pattern analysis is firstly adopted to characterize and model the spatial dependence, and infer significant positive spatial relationships between the picked up points (PUPs) and the dropped off points (DOPs). Secondly, the points of interest (POIs) are identified from DOPs using the emerging hot spot detection technique, then the taxi services and movement patterns surrounding POIs are further examined in details. Moreover, our study builds on and extends the existing work to examine the statistical regularities of trip distances, and we also validate and quantify the impacts posed by airport trips on the distance distributions. Finally, the movement-based kernel density estimation (MKDE) method is proposed to estimate taxis' service ranges within three isopleth levels (50, 75 and 95%) between summer/weekday and winter/weekend from taxi driver's perspective, and season as well as temperature factors are identified as the significant effect within certain service range levels. These results are expected to enhance current urban mobility research and suggest some interesting avenues for future research.     

Optimal fleet utilization and replacement

The fleet replacement problem of a profit-maximizing manager is examined using an optimal control model that captures both utilization and replacement decisions. Conditions for optimal utilization of each vessel in the fleet and optimal vessel acquisition and retirement strategies are discussed. The results indicate that the optimal replacement schedule and fleet size are influenced by utilization schedules, and vice versa. Thus, replacement and utilization strategies should be determined jointly. We develop a numerical example to illustrate the model's potential as a practical management decision tool and the procedures to solve it.     

Analysing bicycle-sharing system user destination choice preferences: Chicago’s Divvy system

In recent years, there has been increasing attention on bicycle-sharing systems (BSS) as a viable and sustainable mode of transportation for short trips. However, due to the relatively recent adoption of BSS, there is very little research exploring how people consider these systems within existing transportation options. Given recent BSS growth around the world, there is substantial interest in identifying contributing factors that encourage individuals to use these systems. The current study contributes to this growing literature by examining BSS behavior at the trip level to analyze bicyclists’ destination preferences. Specifically, we study the decision process involved in identifying destination locations after picking up a bicycle at a BSS station, using a random utility maximization approach in the form of a multinomial logit model (MNL). The quantitative frameworks developed have been estimated using 2013 data from the Chicago’s Divvy system. In our modeling effort, we distinguish between BSS users with annual membership and short-term customers with daily passes. The developed model should allow bicycle-sharing system operators to plan services more effectively by examining the impact of travel distance, land use, built environment, and access to public transportation infrastructure on users’ destination preferences. Using the estimated model, we generated utility profiles as a function of distance and various other attributes, allowing us to represent visually the trade-offs that individuals make in the decision process. To illustrate further the applicability of the proposed framework for planning purposes, destination station-choice probability prediction is undertaken.     

The rationale behind and effects of Bunker Adjustment Factors

The Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) system was first introduced following the oil shocks of the 1970s. The underlying justification for such a system was that shipping lines operating in freight conferences could not otherwise adjust their prices promptly enough to counteract the devastating effect of bunker price increases. Thirty years after its imposition, BAF has always been a bone of contention between carriers and shippers. Ocean carriers contend that it is a necessary evil to reduce their exposure to volatile bunker price, while shippers argue that this risk should either be considered as a normal commercial venture, or dealt with in a more transparent way. When bunker surcharges began to climb in 2003, BAF disputes became one of the main obstacles to the dialog between both parties. To settle the dispute over BAF, the Europe Commission (EC) called for the submission on the issue of surcharges.The European Commission banned carrier conferences on October 17th 2008. The shipping lines now set their own independent BAF rates, which are closely monitored by the EC to ensure no collusion. The fluctuation in oil price in 2008 means that the BAF rates are now coming down, but there are still some wide variations in application. During this period of dramatic change in shipping environment, it has become important to provide a theoretical framework for analyzing the BAF. This paper focuses on examining the rationale behind and effects of BAF. A microeconomic model is made to explore the underlying mechanism of BAF. By examining the trade routes of Asia to Europe and Asia to North America during the period 2003-2008, this study finds the practice of BAF cushions an ocean carrier from the negative effects of bunker price fluctuations, and provides shipping lines a powerful tool to change the incentive structure facing carriers. Despite engineers showing that reducing the speed of vessels can economize fuel consumption evidence shows there has been little change by major shipping lines in their transit time and sailing schedules during the recent period of skyrocketing fuel price. It is apparent they use the BAF as the cushion against the effect of rising bunker prices.     

Strategies for Adopting Consumer‐generated Media in Small‐sized to Medium‐sized Tourism Enterprises

Consumer‐generated media (CGM) are created when consumers submit, review or respond to online content. The bulk of research into CGM has focussed upon its use by consumers, with less research examining the use of CGM by small businesses. This article discusses small business sector use of online technologies such as CGM, concentrating on tourism small businesses as a key industry sector affected by CGM activities. A CGM ‘strategy’ framework, developed from an existing small business strategy framework, is proposed. This serves as a practical tool for developing CGM strategies and as a theoretical foundation for conducting research into the use of CGM. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Incidence of Smartphone Usage among Tourists

We explore smartphone utilization by tourists from 24 countries visiting either Rome, Italy or Athens, Greece. By extending a standard technology acceptance model, we identify common travel uses for smartphones, which include taking photos, social networking, viewing maps, finding transportation and searching for shops and restaurants. Younger cohorts utilize their phones more than older cohorts, but there is no difference in utilization between females and males. The most important factors affecting behaviour are how often the tourist normally utilizes their smartphone when at home, and whether or not the tourist has non‐WiFi data access. We conclude with recommendations for future research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Survey of E-scooter users in Vienna: Who they are and how they ride

In many cities around the world, electric (e-)scooters have emerged as a new means of transportation. They are often advertised as supporting modal shift towards more sustainable transportation and as a tool for enabling more equity in mobility. However, the environmental impact depends on how they are used and what kinds of trips they replace. Integration of e-scooters into urban transport systems also implicates discussions on fair road space allocation. In our study, we assess the socio-economic profiles and usage patterns of e-scooter users in Vienna, Austria. We differentiate between two basic groups of e-scooter users (renters and owners) and apply two different methods. Firstly, based on an online survey, we examine the age, gender and education of e-scooter users and we look into which kinds of trips (commuting, shopping or leisure) and which other means of transportation are replaced by e-scooter trips. Secondly, we analyse data from field observations at cycle paths in Vienna in order to determine the share of e-scooter riders and their gender distribution. We find that e-scooter users are more likely to be young, male, highly educated and residents of Vienna. According to the survey, there are considerable differences in usage between owners of private scooters and users of sharing schemes. Whereas in both groups, e-scooter trips mostly replace walking and public transport as a mode, e-scooter owners also show a considerable mode-shift from private car trips. These results implicate that e-scooter riders are additional users of cycling infrastructure. This puts further pressure on the current allocation of road space, which provides little space for active modes of transport. We conclude that city policies should address this competitive relationship adequately by allocating more space to safe and convenient cycling infrastructure and traffic-calmed zones. This could not only help ease the current challenges due to e-scooters but also provide better conditions for walking and cycling and thereby at the same time contribute to a more sustainable and equitable urban transport system.     

Where to vacation? An agent-based approach to modelling tourist decision-making process

Agent-based models (ABMs) are becoming more relevant in social simulation due to the potential to model complex phenomena that emerge from individual interactions. In tourism research, complexity is a subject of growing interest and researchers start to analyse the tourism system as a complex phenomenon. However, there is little application of ABMs as a tool to explore and predict tourism patterns. The purpose of the paper is to develop an ABM that increases knowledge in tourism research by (i) considering the complexity of tourism phenomenon, (ii) providing tools to explore the complex relations between system components and (iii) giving insights on the functioning of the system and the tourist decision-making process. A theoretical ABM is developed to improve knowledge on tourist decision-making in the selection of a destination to vacation. Tourists’ behaviour, such as individual motivation, and social network influence in the vacation decision-making process are hereby discussed.     

Tourism and the smartphone app: capabilities,emerging practice and scope in the travel domain

Based on its advanced computing capabilities and ubiquity, the smartphone has rapidly been adopted as a tourism travel tool. With a growing number of users and a wide variety of applications emerging, the smartphone is fundamentally altering our current use and understanding of the transport network and tourism travel. Based on a review of smartphone apps, this article evaluates the current functionalities used in the domestic tourism travel domain and highlights where the next major developments lie. Then, at a more conceptual level, the article analyses how the smartphone mediates tourism travel and the role it might play in more collaborative and dynamic travel decisions to facilitate sustainable travel. Some emerging research challenges are discussed.     

A methodology based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process for the quantitative assessment of emergency preparedness and response in road tunnels

The paper presents and discusses a methodology to judge the effectiveness of the preparedness activities in case of accidents in road tunnels by considering the system from several points of view (i.e. structural/technical, organizational/human, and contextual). Due to the different nature of the criteria involved in the assessment activity, we chose to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology (Saaty, T.L. (2006). Fundamentals of Decision Making and Priority Theory with the Analytic Hierarchy Process, RWS Publications, Pittsburgh) that allows comparing and appraising quantitatively variables that are incommensurable and that may originate from distinct and separate areas. The paper identifies the hierarchic structure necessary to measure both the performance of the emergency response system for road tunnel accidents and the weights for assessing their relative importance. Finally, the methodology is applied to a case study on a transnational road tunnel between Italy and France to show a feasible evaluation of the sensitivity of the structure to the input variables in order to find the most valuable enhancing and improving actions.